Originally Posted by
decillion
I agree with this sentiment. I'm well-traveled and well-fed, but have just learned to adjust my expectations for flying in general especially when it comes to United. Yeah Polaris is not Etihad/Emirates. It's soft product is a small upgrade but doesn't really fully compensate for its shortcomings relative to other airlines.
But honestly, and this is more of a macro-level rhetorical question to a lot of the posters on this forum, if you're still getting from A to B with reasonably decent food, service and sleep, shouldn't that realistically be sufficient for most of the people on this website/99% of international travelers? Unless you're so high maintenance that you need your own private jet to meet your travel needs - in which case why would you even be flying commercial? - it's important to keep in check what you're paying for and what you're getting.
Are you paying a ridiculous premium of thousands dollars more for perhaps a bottle of Dom instead of whatever non-vintage they have on board? Or to have half decent lobster/steak/crudo/ethnic fare in the air? Or an amenity kit with a nicer branded plastic bag (e.g. Ferragamo, Tumi) that you will likely only ever use while on your trip and perhaps leave lying around your house somewhere unused?
I don't like paying a premium for [mod. edit] service and a [mod. edit] experience but especially if it pertains to flying/Polaris there's only so much people can complain about without coming across as a twattish Yelper-type. There's a threshold/carrying capacity for what is honestly practical for luxury travel and if you're spending $$$$ to get the above "perks" that make certain airlines superior to United/Delta/AA, I think your money would be better spent on the ground for an actually nice hotel room, cheaper Dom/meals/caviar, and actual toiletries you personally use and would keep, not to mention $$ on real restaurants, hotels, shopping and excursions in whatever destination you're flying in first to.
Aside from the fact that the luxury Middle East/Asian airlines have [mod. edit] routes from where I live (NYC) to anywhere in the world but their home country's hubs, I'd rather save the few thousand by flying on United and then do something meaningful once I'm on the ground. Just my two cents.
If you're using points that's a different story but still similar sentiments apply here, ymmv.
1. Like others mentioned, if UA is not competing for lower prices, then your argument is ok.
However,
1. UA is in business to compete.
2. CEO did not agree with your sentiments, or else we would still be having BF/GF and even 2-4-2 BF seats without doing any retrofitting.
3. Complaints, concerns, and suggestions are ways to improve overall customer service. UA is in business to provide hard, soft product, and service. Who would want a FA to shout/yell/disrespect the customers when they pay premiums of the service? Even the 4-star hotel staff smiles and talks better than some of the nasty UA staff. I can confirm with all others in this threads.
4. If all carriers are in the race of LCC type of service, then your sentiment is correct. UA does not have to compete in all other inflight products and services.
5. With so many more Asian airlines and ME3 to compete with UA, if UA does not step up their game, there is no way they can compete.
POV: The closest INTL flights I took pre-Polaris were SFO-KIX and HKG-SFO. SFO-KIX, FA all smiled in PDB, food delivery/presentation, tried to fix the WiFi. Perhaps the FA was in Japanese culture, but that was a much more pleasant flight than the HKG-SFO BF where staff was a bit robotic, no smile, indifferent communication. OK I get it, 747 BF contains a lot of BF passengers, but there are also a lot of FAs serving different areas of BF cabin.
Verdict: I would take the SFO-KIX service any day of the week, and I believe others would as well.
It's not just EY apartments, it's not SQ First Class Suite, it's not AF First, and we are not even talking about EK Suites. There is a reason people praise for better service. CX 77W J/F is vastly better than AA 77W J/F because of the service, and FA attitude towards the customers.(PS: CX J food is getting a bit worse but that's another topic). JL, NH are definitely better than UA because of the service, FA attitude towards customers. When you misconnect, there is another ground staff standing in the landing gate to escort you to the connecting flight. This applies to Premium passengers, and even economy ones. UA? Only happens in F/GS pax.
You will only improve if there is competition. In two days of the EWR-HKG Polaris Service, I am not optimistic, by looking at all the comments surrounding this thread, but I am hopeful. This Polaris Service has the opportunity to take over AA and DL, with the great cabin lighting, improved service, hard and soft product, but they have to execute better to make this happen.